The National Association of State Park Directors and the National Training Center at Oglebay Park have opened the registration for the 2019 School. More info: curriculum and online registration.

Founded in 2007, the State Park Leadership School was formed with hopes to fill a void that was trending due to the baby boomer generation of state park employees approaching retirement. Assistant Park Managers, as well as people coming in from other industries, were in need of professional development in order to step into park manager and other leadership positions.

Ideal students include new supervisors, mid-level managers moving into greater responsibilities and high-potential employees. The program covers core competencies that are essential to effective professional state park management.

Students are able to network with peers from all over the country and receive instruction from professionals with state park management experience.

The two-year certificate program through North Carolina State University consists of both distance education and on-site components. Students begin the program receiving an on-line distance learning module that provides instruction on the curriculum. Each module includes study guides, sample test questions, and recommended supplemental resources. The on-line portion is followed up by an on-site experimental learning forum at Oglebay Resort and Conference Center in Wheeling, West Virginia. Each year concludes with a written exam covering the various topics within the curriculum. After the second year, an average score of 70% is required to earn the certificate.

State Park Leadership School … Serve, Lead, Inspire!

https://www.stateparks.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/2-Logos-Combined-No-Background.jpg6511260NASPDhttp://www.stateparks.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Americas_State_Parks_Logo-300x188.jpgNASPD2018-06-29 16:30:102018-06-29 16:36:12Enrollment Open for 12th Annual State Park Leadership School

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The top man with the West Virginia State Parks told lawmakers Tuesday the Mountain State is a treasure for adventure seekers and the parks are trying to do more to accommodate those looking for adventure activities.

Sam England detailed a list of the top ten outdoor pursuits ranked by the amount of money spent to pursue them nationally during an appearance Tuesday before a legislative interim committee. The top listing was trail sports, which includes hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, and horseback riding. The category also included rappelling and bouldering as well as trail running.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is joining the recognition of outdoor recreation on America’s public lands, releasing a new video celebrating recreation’s return and emphasizing the need for modernization of infrastructure. Watch, share and comment on the video via YouTube, Facebookand twitter.

https://www.stateparks.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Screen-Shot-2017-03-01-at-4.55.28-PM.png158248NASPDhttp://www.stateparks.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Americas_State_Parks_Logo-300x188.jpgNASPD2018-06-22 21:37:382018-06-22 21:40:11The 50 Governors Have Proclaimed June as Great Outdoors Month

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott declared June Great Outdoors Month last week at Elmore State Park.

Governor Phil Scott came back to his sometime childhood home on the shores of Lake Elmore last Thursday to encourage more people to get outside and take advantage of what is perhaps Vermont’s most valuable resource: itself.

“We have a shared respect and appreciation for our landscape and our great Vermont outdoors,” Scott said during a press conference in Elmore State Park. “We understand that our forests, fields, mountains, lakes and rivers provide enjoyment and economic benefit to our state, our residents, as well as our visitors here.”

Scott said Vermont has 850,000 acres of public land available for all manner of outdoor recreation, and 8,000 miles of trails.

“That’s equal to walking to California and back with enough left over to hike the entire Appalachian Trail,” he said.

Thursday’s press conference served a couple of purposes — actually, three, as reporters from several Vermont media outlets pressed the governor on a potential government shutdown.

In a somewhat drizzly day that has proven the anomaly over the past month, Scott proclaimed the month of June, 2018 as Great Outdoors Month. The proclamation, in part, reads, “Our kids today spend an average of 10 hours a day in front of a screen and outdoor activity is touted by many leading health organizations as a remedy for the adverse effects caused by our increasing inactivity.”

The question is how to get more people outside, and Scott was joined by Vermont State Parks director Craig Whipple and Julie Moore, secretary of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources. Whipple quipped that sometimes it takes a little “gimmick” to encourage people to get outdoors.

Some of those include making parks passes available at libraries all over the state — you check them out the same way you would a book or a DVD — or offering doctors special prescription pads that they can fill out and give to patients, giving them a free day pass.

Noting that one of the biggest barriers to camping is buying all the gear, the parks department is also launching a “first time happy camper” program that supplies all the necessary gear and a day pass to one of five parks in the pilot program: Bomoseen, Button Bay, Grand Isle, Stillwater and Woodford.

Moore used the governor’s press conference to talk about the new Venture Vermont Outdoor Challenge, a scavenger hunt of sorts where participants score points for all manner of outdoor activity.

Most activities score 5 or 10 points. Reach 250 points and you get a day pass good for any state park for the rest of 2018 and all of 2019.

“Literally, we have a little something for everybody, whether it’s camping, swimming, hiking, fishing, boating or picnicking, all of these opportunities are available across Vermont’s state parks,” Moore said.

This being the governor’s weekly press conference, most journalists in attendance were there to press Scott on one issue: does the administration have a contingency plan if he and lawmakers cannot come to an agreement on a statewide budget and tax plan by the end of this month?

The next fiscal year begins July 1, and many government agencies won’t be able to operate without a budget in place. That includes the state parks.

Scott refused to be pinned down, saying he is confident the two sides will reach an agreement, but stopping short of saying he would sign a budget or announce contingency plans.

The News & Citizen had a question more related to the venue and the previous outdoors initiatives: how is the funding for the cleaning of rivers and lakes, including ones in the very state parks being touted?

Lake Elmore, for one, is not in danger of becoming unusable, said Scott.

Moore said the state has allocated 75 percent more money for clean water initiatives than the previous two fiscal years. She added state parks employees are also going to assess the health of the waterways in their parks.

The National Association of State Park Directors Announces Launch of America’s State Parks 2018 Photo ContestPacked with Prizes Valued at $4,500, the Photo Contest That Celebrates State Parks is Now Open for Submissions

Raleigh, NC – June 4, 2018 – Armed with a mission to promote and advance the state park systems of America, the National Association of State Park Directors (NASPD), today announced the launch of America’s State Parks 2018 photo contest. The contest, which is open to residents of the U.S. age 18 and over, provides an opportunity to visually share experiences captured at the nation’s state parks over the last year1. The contest returns for a second year after receiving more than 8,000 qualified photo submissions and 105,000 website engagements during its inaugural 2-month run in 2017.

“The outdoor recreation community has been built on the concept of sharing and America’s State Parks photo contest perfectly aligns with that,” said Lewis Ledford, executive director at National Association of State Park Directors. “NASPD looks forward to continuing to offer a forum in which the community can easily connect with each other and share the experiences our state parks have afforded them.”

With focus on highlighting real-life moments and celebrating the marvelous essence of the country’s public lands, the contest encourages amateur photographers to submit photos taken at a state park within the five categories of camping, wildlife, activities, friends & family, and scenic & seasons. Qualifying submissions will be judged on originality, artistic composition, technical quality, and effectiveness of the image in showcasing the best of America’s State Parks.

The contest’s grand prize winner will be awarded a package valued at $2,000, including a 7-day RV rental from Mighway, an innovative RV sharing platform dedicated to connecting RV owners with travelers. Winners will also be selected from each of the contest’s five categories and will each receive a $500 REI gift card. From now until July 31, 2018, interested participants can submit their entries on the official parks photo contest website.

To ensure the delivery of modern, convenient online experiences to its contest entrants, NASPD engaged its trusted partner, AspiraTM, to manage the operations and promotion for the contest. Aspira, seasoned in providing technology and marketing services to park and conservation agencies across North America, will utilize its popular online camping community, ReserveAmerica.com, to increase awareness of America’s State Parks photo contest.

“We’re thrilled to team up with Aspira and Mighway to deliver a strong, convenient, and rewarding experience to America’s State Parks photo contest participants and winners,” continued Ledford. “Together, we look forward to receiving this year’s submissions and with it, celebrating the nation’s state parks.”

Winners of the contest will be announced in September during the National Association of State Park Directors Conference.

About NASPD

The National Association of State Park Directors (NASPD) is devoted to helping state park systems effectively manage and administer their state park system. The mission of the Association is to promote and advance the state park systems of America for their own significance, as well as for their important contributions to the nation’s environment, heritage, health and economy. For more information, visit www.stateparks.org.

About Aspira

Aspira provides connected experiences for the outdoor recreation industry. Its comprehensive suite of reservation and licensing technology and service solutions support federal, state, provincial, and local government park, campground, and conservation agencies, conveniently connecting them with outdoor adventure seekers from around the world. Aspira is headquartered in Dallas, TX with nine offices worldwide. For more information, visitwww.AspiraConnect.com.

About Mighway

Labeled the ‘Airbnb’ of RVs, Mighway is an innovative RV sharing platform, raising the bar in service and consumer protection, and connecting RV owners with travelers. While other RV sharing platforms serve more as booking engines, Mighway assists travelers throughout the road trip and often beyond. More than that, Mighway changes the game by offering the option to manage everything for owners as well. For more information, visit www.Mighway.com.

Many of the early parks and preservation projects accomplished in the United States were through legislative acts by
the states. There was recognition of this growing responsibility in a relatively new field of public service. It
was through early successes that such American landmarks as Niagara Falls, the California redwoods, and the San
Jacinto battleground were saved for prosperity. A few years later, guided by Stephen Mather, the first National
Conference on [State] Parks to promote state and other public parks was conceived, organized, convened and actively
supported by practically every park and conservation luminary in the country. Held in Des Moines, Iowa in January
1921, it brought together some 200 highly motivated delegates and ignited a “prairie fire” for the development of
public parks across America. From the success of this auspicious convocation of modest beginnings grew a national
state park movement that has achieved unimaginable success.11Adapted from The State Park Movement in America by Ney Landrum

America’s State Parks today include more than 2,200 traditional state parks and more than 8,100 additional
areas that provide wonderful outdoor recreation experiences and unique historical, scientific and environmental
education opportunities. Eighteen and one-half million acres provide for grand diversity – from the vastness of a
half-million acre mountainous landscape, to the colorful intricacies of a living coral reef, to the world’s longest
stalactite formation, to the tallest sand on the Atlantic seaboard, to the historic locations where European
settlers first came to America, and much more. This mosaic of the natural resources and cultural fabric of America
and the splendor of its beauty are enjoyed by 791 million visitors to state parks annually. Both remote and resort
in their offerings, America’s State Parks are indeed yours to explore and experience.

Now, as during the past century and the beginning of the state park movement, the support of partners are invaluable
to success of parks. America’s State Parks have long been recognized their accessibility, and for
their effectiveness and management efficiencies.

Support from individuals, friends groups and corporate America are central to continuing to provide and advance quality
outdoor recreation experiences and opportunities in America’s State Parks and safeguard their importance to the
nation’s environment, heritage, health and economy.